In a recent report by Ecologistas en Acción, it has been revealed that Spain allocated 7.915 billion euros in public funds in 2024 toward agricultural, fishing, and forestry activities that harm biodiversity. This figure is noteworthy as it is four times the amount, 2 billion euros, that was assigned to nature conservation efforts. The report comes at a crucial time when environmental policies in the European Union are becoming more relaxed and biodiversity continues to decline across the continent.

The breakdown of the subsidies shows that a significant 87% are direct aids, largely sourced from European funds, while the remaining 13% consists of tax exemptions for pesticides and agrochemicals used in agriculture, as well as for fuels like diesel for ships and biomass boilers. This strong financial support for destructive activities raises critical questions about Spain's commitment to environmental sustainability and biodiversity preservation, especially when juxtaposed against the ongoing global biodiversity crisis.

The findings of this report emphasize the urgent need for policy reforms aimed at redirecting financial assistance towards sustainable practices. Critics argue that without a significant shift in funding priorities, the detrimental impacts on ecosystems and wildlife will consequently escalate, challenging both local and global efforts to combat the loss of biodiversity in the coming years.